AI Rate Professor

History

Eric Nystrom

HISTORY17B · HIST17A · 03421C · 17B · HIST04A · HIS1010 · 26 lifetime ratings

AI rating
61/100
RMP rating
4.0/5
Take again
73.08%
Difficulty
3.2

The decision

if you want real history learning and ; skip him if you need a light, easy A.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerTough GraderLecture HeavyPassionate HistorianEssay ExamsCitation Picky
  • Engaging, passionate lectures that many students love especially in person.
  • , and multi-essay exams.
  • ; avoid if you need an easy GE.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

As are possible with consistent effort, but tough grading, picky citations, and .

Recent online reviews stress harsh .

Is the course easy?

Challenging

36/100

Heavy lectures, lots of reading, and writing-focused exams create real intellectual load .

Both formats call the course lecture heavy; online adds more citation and reading complaints.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

35/100

Many sections mark attendance mandatory and participation matters for .

In-person participation is emphasized; as not mandatory.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

72/100

, but not for those seeking an easy or low-effort class.

In-person recommendation is warmer; several recent .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

28/100

and harsh notes on assignments.

Format shift

Online ; some earlier online comments call him a fair or .

Workload

Heavy

32/100

Weekly notes, reading, REVEL-style work, and .

Format shift

Online students especially report lots of homework and citation detail; in person is lecture heavy with fewer side assignments.

Teaching experience

Good

78/100

Strong lecturer who makes history interesting, energetic, and clear for many students.

Format shift

; online quality ratings swing from excellent to poor.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

72/100

Quizzes and , reading, and participation.

Format shift

; in person emphasizes quizzes, essays, and participation.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

13 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

history professor, citing humor, printed notes, participation points, and fair study guides.

Main concern

Lecture pace is heavy and .

What students said

“Hands down THE BEST professor at Merced College!”
HIST17A
“His study guides are very similar to the exam so study the guide and you will get an A.”
HIST17A
“Nystrom is the G.O.A.T. when it comes to teaching history.”
HISTORY17B

Remote format

Online

13 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

many praise passion and lectures, while recent reviews slam picky citations, heavy notes, and .

Main concern

Weekly work demands precise lecture or article citations and can overwhelm busy schedules.

What students said

“ .”
HIST17A
“He is very passionate about the subject, and his lectures are engaging and entertaining.”
HIST17A
“Nice guy but gave so much work for an online class. He is a .”
HIST04A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams often require two essays and can feel strict or confusing, though study guides sometimes closely match the test.

Essay ExamsDifficult QuizzesStudy GuidesTwo Essays Per Exam

Assessment risk

Standard

42/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

and , but printed notes and study guides that mirror exams help prepared students.

Essay ExamsStudy Guides Similar to ExamPop QuizzesPrinted Lecture Notes
“ and there are 2 essay exams that are difficult because his directions are so confusing.”
HIST17A
“His study guides are very similar to the exam so study the guide and you will get an A.”
HIST17A
“ and are similar to study guide!”
HIS1010

Online

Online students report strict exams with two essays and ; proctoring software is not clearly described.

Two Essays Per ExamCitation Heavy AssignmentsTough Grading
“he assigns two essays on two different topics for .”
HIST04A
“ and he is super harsh in grading.”
HIST17A

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Hands down THE BEST professor at Merced College!”

Voice snapshots generated from 26 reviews (13 online, 13 in person), . Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

78/100

“He is very passionate and engaging.”

⚖️

28/100

“This professor is a .”

👍 Recommendation Split

72/100

“100% recommend taking his class!”

📚 Workload Reality

32/100

“Nice guy but gave so much work for an online class.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • he LOVES teaching
  • He makes learning history fun.
  • Funny guy, knows what he's talking about

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Be prepared for the of your grade.
  • .

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

  • he is an amazing professor!!
  • Is willing to help as much as he can if you ask.
  • he creates safe environment.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

26

Recent reviews read by the AI

26

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

26 detailed reviews split evenly by format across 2018-2026, with a and consistent lecture praise.

Inside 26 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 516
4 out of 52
3 out of 52
2 out of 53
1 out of 53

Course coverage

HIST17A13 reviews
HIST04A5 reviews
HISTORY17B5 reviews
03421C1 review
17B1 review
Show 1 more courses
HIS10101 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

23 reported outcomes

A range

9

A+ 3 · A 5 · A- 1

B range

9

B+ 2 · B 7

C range

5

C+ 3 · C 2

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

0

No reported values